Al Amana Centre under the auspices of the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs will be observing the International Day of Tolerance on November 16 to be held at Sheraton Oman.
The day is to be marked with a photography exhibition by people living in the Sultanate of Oman from different religious backgrounds.
“We will be sharing pictures and the participants will showcase their faith and how it contributes to the tolerance we have here in the Sultanate of Oman’’, said Rev Justin Meyers, (pictured) of Al Amana Centre.
On Wednesday evening the participants gathered at the Qurum Cultural Club to learn about each other by talking and exploring to understand what they believe. “We are able to open up the doors and pathways for understanding and tolerance here in the Sultanate of Oman and around the world’’, said Rev Meyers.
Al Amana Centre has a long history in the Sultanate of Oman. It is the legacy of the doctors and teachers who came to the Sultanate of Oman in the late 1800s from the Reform Church in America.
“People have heard about Dr Thomas and Dr Bosch and their homes in Muttrah are our offices now’’, noted Rev Meyers.
He added, “We bring people from around the world to learn about the tolerance of the Sultanate of Oman and to learn techniques to talk to one another to build stronger communities across the world.”
According to him, through understanding trust is built, with trust fear of the unknown goes away because the other is known.
“You know them as friends and you know what they will do because they will know each other as friends and neighbours not as someone from another religion’’, said Rev Meyers.
Tolerance is a good place to start but it takes a lot of energy to maintain tolerance, but if you understand somebody you do not have to just tolerate them, instead
